Meant to Be Broken
by staceygirl aka jackbauer
Summary: Bella makes a New Year's resolution not to date any more athletes after getting burned by her football-playing ex, but Edward the quarterback might just make her throw her resolution out the window. AH ExB
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **

**j****ackbauer: ****This is our first collab we wrote it for ****belli486**** for in**** the fic exchange. We used be fic married, but we're recently divorced. **

**Daisy: ****why do you keep bringing that up? you know it hurts me.**

**jackbauer: ****Well you are the one who said it was over. Anyway thanks to our beta... did we have a beta?**

**Daisy: ****you always need a beta. Profmom beta'd this, dumbass.**

**jackbauer: ****ohhh oops Stop. Don't you know I hate cussing**

**Daisy: ****of course i f*****g know that (edited by jackbauer)**

**jackbauer: ****Any cussing in this story was ...DAISY THIS IS RATED T!**

**Daisy: ****you tried to delete all the cusses i put in this collab**

**jackbauer: ****Ok well thanks profmom and you're welcome Daisy for lending MY beta to this effort.**

**Daisy: ****lol. This is going to be an annoying a/n**

**jackbauer: ****I love annoying a/n's**

**Daisy: that's true.**

**jackbauer: ****We should tell them it will be three chapters and there was no rhyme or reason to who wrote what, but that all the good parts are mine**

**Daisy: ****lol yes the good parts are yours but all the parts worth reading are mine.**

**jackbauer: ****maybe you should write a disclaimer now**

**Daisy: ****characters do not belong us, all typos belong to jackbauer, and all cussing belongs to me.**

Meant to Be Broken

Chapter 1

"Alice, I don't want to wear heels," I groaned.

"But Jacob already towers over you. He's going to have a problem kissing you at midnight if you wear flats," my best friend argued.

"He's always found a way before," I reminded her. Jacob and I had been together for almost a year. He was funny, he made me feel special, and I was in love with him. He was a safety on the Purdue football team where we were both going to college.

Growing up with my dad, I'd always been a sports fanatic. He didn't really give me much of a choice in that area. From the moment I opened my eyes, a love for the game was drilled into me. My first word was "touchdown," and while most little girls' bedrooms were pink and purple, mine was decorated in Seahawks blue and green. Football was the one thing my dad and I had in common, and so it was only natural for me to gravitate toward it in school, too.

I started working with the football team in junior high and then became one of the trainers for my high school team. I was always surrounded by jocks – mainly football players – and most of the time it was a lot of fun. I was the girl that all the guys looked out for, and I had a lot of crazy experiences with the team that made all my friends jealous. I was one of the only girls that got to spend time behind the scenes with the guys, to joke around with them in their element. I even saw a few of them practically naked. It was awesome. The truth was that riding on the team bus to away games wasn't nearly as glamorous as it seemed, and when it came time for prom or the off-season, I was always the one who was jealous. I was the one with ridiculous crushes on the unattainable quarterback or the tight end with an average of over 200 yards receiving per game. But the quarterback and the tight end never thought of me like that. The players asked out the cheerleaders, while I, their little buddy, sat at home alone. The guys on the team thought of me as just another one of the guys or worse, like their little sister.

It wasn't until I got to college that an athlete finally noticed me, and I reveled in the attention. I met Jacob on one of my first days as a trainer's assistant for the Boilermakers. I taped up his ankle, he flirted with me, and we went on our first date that night.

His football schedule kept him busy, but it was my first serious relationship, so I tried to be patient. I didn't have anything to compare it to after all. When we were together I was blissed out. The problem was that didn't happen often enough. I wanted to spend more time together, and he always promised we would, but then for some reason or another he could never make it. Like the time he promised to take me to see Wicked in Chicago, but then had to squeeze in an extra workout before a big game. I was devastated. So much for defying gravity.

I had a feeling that was about to change though. It was New Year's Eve, and we were back at school early for a big party some of the coaches' wives were throwing for the team. After tonight, everything would be different. Tonight Jacob was going to propose. I was sure of it. He'd been dropping hints all over the place, and I just knew this was it. Surely once we were engaged, he would have to make more time. A fiancée had to be a priority.

Alice helped me finish getting ready, and I could admit it. I looked good. Really good. My plum colored dress left some to the imagination in front, but was low cut in the back. Alice curled my hair, and even talked me into fake eye lashes, saying they made my eyes pop. Tonight I would get to spend the evening dancing with man I loved. It was going to be great seeing some of the players all dressed up and totally out of their element. I was looking forward to everyone gushing over my ring and all the girls telling me how lucky I was. I just hoped I didn't cry and ruin my make-up.

I drove over to the athletic housing to pick up Jacob. There was no way I was getting on his motorcycle in this dress in the sub-zero Indiana winter. I climbed out of my car and walked up the sidewalk toward his apartment. Another girl was walking toward me from the other direction carrying a small brown paper sack and a to-go cup. I let her go ahead of me, and she smiled in appreciation. I followed her up the sidewalk, and I was surprised when she walked to Jacob's building. I was even more surprised when she kept going straight to Jacob's door.

"Excuse me," I said just before she knocked. "Can I help you with something?"

"No, I'm just bringing my boyfriend some soup."

"Boyfriend?" I was sure she must have the wrong apartment. "Are you sure you have the right place? This is Jacob Black's apartment."

"Yes, I was just bringing him some soup," she said louder like was stupid or deaf.

"But I thought you were bringing soup to your boyfriend. Do you mean Embry or Quil?" I was getting more and more confused. Then it hit me. "Wait did you mean _Jacob_ is your boyfriend? He's my boyfriend." Maybe she was crazy or a stalker. I considered calling the police.

"I think you must be delusional, sweetheart. Jacob is one hundred percent mine." She took on a bit of an aggressive stance, and I took a step back.

"There must be some sort of mistake. Are you telling me you're dating Jacob Black?" I tried to clear up the confusion.

"Yes, of course. Now, please tell me what you're doing here," she seethed.

"I'm here to go to a New Year's party with him." I swallowed back the bile in my throat.

"I...I thought he was sick." She started to look ill, too.

"I've been dating him for over a year." I silently prayed that this was some sort of colossal mistake.

"You're kidding. Please tell me your kidding," the girl's voice turned almost pleading. I started to feel sorry for her, and I really started to feel even sorrier for myself."

"Not kidding," I shook my head.

"I've been dating him since last Spring Break," she cringed as she said it.

"Oh my gosh," I moaned. "I can't believe this." We stood there assessing each other. I wasn't sure if she was about to cry on my shoulder or punch me.

"I'm going to kill that asshole," she finally seethed.

"I'm going to help you." My confusion was suddenly replaced with fury.

"I'm Leah, by the way." The girl stuck out her hand, and I shook it.

"Bella Swan," I replied as she pounded on the door. We heard footsteps approach, and she took the lid off the drink and handed it to me as she pulled a large bowl of soup out of the bag she was holding. I nodded to her that I was on the same page.

Jacob answered the door wearing a suit. He had gel in his hair and looked pretty much perfect. My heart ached at what I'd just lost, but it was not the time to cry. Now was the time to put that stupid dog in his place.

"Baby, I'm ready," he said, straightening his tie. When he looked up, he didn't see who he expected. "Leah? What are you….Bella? You're here. You're both here." His eyes grew wide as the realization of what was happening dawned on him.

"Happy New Year, Asshole," Leah said and poured the soup over his head.

"Yeah, Happy New Year, you lying, cheating, good for nothing jerk," I snarled and threw the cup of soda in his face.

Leah held up her hand, and I gave her a high five. We stomped back down the sidewalk together, not even bothering to look back at Jacob or give him a chance to explain.

We reached the fork in the sidewalk that led to each of our cars, and we both stopped. I wasn't sure if we should hug or shake hands or go slash Jacob's tires.

"Want to get a drink or something?" Leah offered, still looking pretty shaken up.

"Sure." It wasn't like I had anything better to do. "How about Harry's?"

"Meet you there," she agreed.

I started driving and told myself over and over again that I was not going to be sick. I would not cry. I wouldn't give Jacob my tears. He didn't deserve them. Ugh! I was such an idiot. I looked down at my left hand and felt ridiculous for thinking he was going to propose! I gripped the steering wheel so tight my knuckles hurt. What if he had proposed? I could have ended up on a 20/20 story about a man with two wives. For all I knew Jacob had other girlfriends, too. I HATED HIM! I wanted to punch something. I wanted to punch Jacob. I couldn't believe I fell for this. I should have known. He was always busy with the team. I would see the other players out and wonder why they didn't have to keep the same schedule, but I dismissed it. Every time he canceled plans with me, and I got upset, he would end up making me feel bad for being frustrated. I was obviously a fool, and Jacob was just cocky enough to think something like having two girlfriends at once could work. I thought he loved me. I thought I was special.

I drove into the parking garage across from Harry's, and almost drove right back out. Why in the world would I want to spend New Year's with my cheating ex-boyfriend's other girlfriend?

Screw it. I needed a drink.

I walked inside, and Leah was already sitting at a booth. I started to make my way over to her when I ran straight into somebody. I hit him so hard it almost knocked me backward, but he grabbed me by the shoulders, holding me upright. "Bella, are you okay?"

I looked up into the perfect green eyes of Edward Cullen. He was the starting quarterback, and I knew him from working for the team. Edward was practically a celebrity around campus, and everybody worshipped the ground he walked on. Everybody except for Jacob. Jacob couldn't stand him. I wasn't sure what had happened between them, and Jacob wouldn't tell me. I trusted Jacob though, so if he didn't like Cullen there must have been a good reason. As for me, Edward and I had always been on friendly enough terms. He was always kind to me, and engaged me in conversation when we interacted. I'd never really talked to him much outside of work, though, because of Jacob.

"Oh yeah, sorry. I'm fine. I should watch where I'm going."

"What are you doing here? Aren't you going to the party tonight?" he asked without letting go of me.

"Um…I'm actually just meeting a friend for a drink. Um...." I motioned with my head to my shoulder where he was still holding on.

"Oh, sorry." Edward snapped his hands back and shuffled his feet uncomfortably.

"What about you, are you going to the party?"

"I'll make an appearance later. I never bothered to find a date, and I'll stick out like a sore thumb," he explained. I motioned to Leah telling her just one more second, and Edward followed my gaze over to her.

"Wait, you're having a drink with her?" he asked barely loud enough for me to hear his shaky voice.

I looked back at his face, and his expression was nervous. Guilty. Then it hit me. "You knew about her?" I started to raise my voice.

"Umm… well…." Edward stared at the floor and shuffled his feet. I had never been more humiliated. Not only was Jacob screwing someone else, but apparently it was public knowledge.

"Does the whole team know?" I asked, my anger growing.

Edward made a pained face and nodded yes. I was going to explode.

"NO!!" I screeched and stormed off toward Leah.

"Turns out the whole team knew about Jacob's two-timing," I sneered as I slammed myself down in the seat across from Leah. Leah's eyes grew wide, and she glanced over to where I'd come from. She saw Edward still frozen in his spot. Her lips tightened. She took some deep breaths, and then emptied the glass in front of her.

"I hate men. I hate all of them." She slid a beer across the table in my direction. I drank most of it and she filled it again from the pitcher in front of her.

"It's not all men. It's athletes. They're all obsessed with themselves and think they're above acting like decent human beings. They're despicable, the whole lot of them. I've seen it over and over. They have no concept of consequences. They can get away with anything and joke with each other about how easy it is."

"You're right. Why would anyone go out with someone like that? It's just setting yourself up to get screwed and not in a good way," Leah agreed.

"I have no idea, I thought it was what I wanted, but I was stupid. I won't make that mistake again. No. More. Athletes. I'm a fairly attractive girl, and I'm sure there are plenty of normal, respectful, good-looking guys who would love to go out with just me. I'm not swearing off men altogether, but if they play with any balls not attached to their bodies, then they're out of the running."

"Hear, hear. That's a New Year's Resolution I can keep." Leah raised her glass. "No more athletes."

"No more athletes," I confirmed, and we both took another drink.

~*~*~

"Ugh." I groaned loudly, turning and reaching out blindly for my alarm clock. I finally felt it with my fingertips and sent it flying across the room. I heard it smash against the wall and shatter. Oops. Oh well, at least I shut the damn thing up.

My head was throbbing and my entire body ached. I could smell my own body odor. I ran my tongue over my teeth and they felt strangely fuzzy. Ew gross. What happened to me? I rubbed my temples with my fingertips, trying desperately to remember last night.

New Year's Eve.

Jacob.

Leah.

Wait… Leah?

Oh, right.

Jacob.

Cheating lying bastard of a boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend.

I groaned again and rolled over, grabbed my pillow, and pulled it tightly over my head. I had wanted to erase Jacob from my memory. At least that was my intent when I kept saying 'yes' to all those pitchers of beer. And shots of Tequila. And what was that blue stuff?

How did I even get home? The last thing I remembered was sliding into the booth next to Leah. We were singing… something… and had our arms around each other's shoulders. I remembered green eyes. Edward Cullen popped into my head. Why was I thinking about work? Oh wait, Edward had been there. Did he sit down with us? I remembered being mad at him, but then...maybe. Did I call him pretty? All of this thinking was making my headache worse, so I decided to stop thinking. Instead I moaned again, just because I could.

"Would you quit it? Some of us are trying to sleep!"

Oh, right, my roommate.

"Sorry, Alice," I mumbled.

"What happened to you last night, anyway? You stumbled in at four, and I didn't even see Jake drop you off. I wasn't expecting you to come back at all."

"Jake's a cheating son of a bitch, and I never want to see him again."

Silence.

"Bella, are you okay?" she asked tentatively.

Thankfully she knew better than to try an 'I told you so' right now. I sighed and rolled onto my back before slowly sitting up and rubbing my eyes with the heels of my hands. Maybe if I rubbed hard enough I could erase that look on his face. That "I am sooo busted look." Or maybe the pity I saw in Edward Cullen's eyes. The last thing I wanted was pity. I already felt like the world's biggest moron.

"No, Alice, I'm not okay. But I will be as soon as I forget that scum bucket ever existed."

I didn't hear her move, but suddenly the mattress next to me depressed and there were arms surrounding me. I didn't know how someone so tiny could hug so tightly.

I heard myself sniffling and that only made me angrier. The last thing Jake deserved was my tears.

"So what are we going to do about J–"

"Don't say his name. Please. I don't want to think about him at all."

"Alright, okay… So, what did "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" do exactly? How do you know he cheated on you?"

I sniffled. "He's been dating someone else this whole time. Every time he cancelled plans or told me he was too busy with team stuff he was probably out with her. The team even knew about it."

"Did one of them tell you, or did Jacob confess?" Alice asked.

"Yeah right. I ran into his other girlfriend last night. She was just showing up to bring him soup when I got there. He had told her he was sick and couldn't go out, poor baby," I sneered.

"Oh, Bella." Alice looked like she was about to cry, but there was an edge to her sadness. An angry edge.

She shot up and looked at me with unmasked fury as she started to pace the room. "So what's next? Slash his tires? Hand out flyers all over campus with that picture of him from Newton's party last year where he put on the panties? Tell the coaches why he really missed practice that one time?"

"No, Alice. Revenge isn't my style. All I know is that I have a new rule to live by and you're going to have to hold me to it. When it comes to dating, there will be absolutely, positively no athletes of any kind. Under any circumstances."

Alice just stared. She knew this was big for me. The only guys I was ever interested in were athletes. Something about the way they handled a ball made think they could handle....NO! No more!

"I mean it, Alice. The entire football team knew about what was going on, and no one told me. I feel like such a fool. How did I not see what was going on?"

"Because You-Know-Who is a lying, two-timing manwhore who can't keep it in his pants… and unfortunately those types are usually pretty skilled in deception. Now you're lucky in this case because your fabulous, devoted best friend is very skilled in ball-chopping. Revenge might not be your style, but let's face it, your style sucks. Give me two minutes alone with him, and we'll be able to roast his nuggets over an open flame."

I couldn't help it, I cracked up. Leave it to Alice. I would never cross Miss "Tiny but Mighty."

"Thanks Alice, but I really don't think that's necessary. I just want to move on with my life."

"I wish you knew what it was like to date a nice guy. Someone who knows how much your worth and lets you know they appreciate being with you. Jacob was always such a douche. At least he's out of your life now."

"Yeah," I sighed. Alice was talking a million miles a minute and I just wanted to mope.

"You know the best way to get over someone is to find someone new. How about we make you a profile on ? We could use that picture of you in that black dress...."

"Alice no," I interrupted. "I'm not ready to date anyone this soon."

"Okay, okay. Just promise me you'll keep your options open," Alice asked with her puppy dog eyes I could never resist.

"Fine," I sighed. "I can agree to not shutting myself off to possibilities, but I don't want you trying to set me up with anyone or putting my picture online."

"Great. You just never know when you'll meet Mr. Right." Our phone started ringing. "Maybe that's him!" she giggled and ran off to get the phone.

I didn't want to be pathetic and stay in bed all day, even if I was nursing the worst hangover of my entire existence. I needed something. I needed a cheeseburger. A greasy one. I forced myself to roll out of bed. Alice and I threw on jeans and hoodies and headed to the Triple X for burgers. They were pretty much the end all be all of hangover cures in the area. The patties were juicy and greasy, and I always got mine with lots of cheese and grilled onions. It might kill me, but right then that didn't sound like the worst alternative. Plus, at least I would die with a full stomach. When we arrived, we found we weren't the only poor suckers in need of a hangover fix and ended up waiting for about half an hour for seats at the counter.

There was one empty seat next to me, and while we were waiting for our burgers I felt a hand rest gently on my shoulder.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

When I turned to see where the voice had come from, I was momentarily stunned. The boy towering over me was… guh. He had wavy dark brown hair, just long enough to be a little shaggy. His eyes were a piercing blue, and they crinkled at the corners when he smiled. His smile was infectious, complete with adorable dimples. I couldn't help but grin right back at him, despite the fact that my life was currently in shambles.

"Miss?"

"Oh, right. Sorry. Umm, sure… have a seat."

He looked pleased and slid onto the stool next to mine.

"Hey there," he started, reaching his hand out for me to shake. "My name's Emmett. Emmett McCarty."

His hand was enormous and warm, and mine disappeared inside of it. He smiled again, raising an eyebrow in question. Oh, right, I was supposed to speak.

"Bella Swan."

"Well, Bella Swan, I'm pleased to meet you. And you are?" He turned to Alice, nodding his head in her direction.

"Hi! I'm Alice Brandon, Bella's best friend and roommate. I'm glad you came to sit with us. We were just talking about keeping our options open."

I elbowed her in the ribs, but she didn't even flinch.

Emmett proved to be good company. Really good. I'd been planning to wallow and feel sorry for myself for at least a few days, but Emmett's gregarious attitude was entirely too contagious. I'd never been so comfortable with a guy right off the bat. I laughed at every other sentence that came out of his mouth. He was clearly intelligent and witty, and we spent almost two hours trading jabs and laughing together.

"How in the world are you eating so much? Where is it all going?" Emmett asked as he looked at my belly.

I slapped his arm. "Shut it, Hagrid. I can't believe you called me fat!"

"I didn't call you fat. I just don't understand how you look like that when you just ate your weight in ground beef."

We finally stood up to leave, and he helped me into my coat. I smiled at the simple gesture; Jacob never did gentlemanly things like that. I liked it.

"So, Bella…" he began, and I saw the slightest nervous edge behind his confident exterior. "Do you think I could call you sometime?"

I hesitated for a moment and saw his face fall just the slightest bit. It made my stomach clench to see him stop smiling. It just seemed so… unnatural.

"Are you an athlete?" I blurted out. The confused look on his face made me giggle and was worth my momentary embarrassment. I couldn't believe I had just asked him such a random question, but I also had a hard time believing he wasn't one. He was definitely built like a tight end or... Well, he was built.

"Of course." The goofy grin returned to his face and he pretended to flex his muscles.

"That's not what I mean," I let out an exaggerated sight. I mean do you play ball for the school or run track or swim? Anything that requires a uniform and practices."

"No, not anymore. I busted my knee senior year of high school. What, do you only hang out with athletes or something?"

"No, actually the opposite. It's sort of my new rule that I don't hang out with athletes."

He watched me carefully, and I was pretty sure he could sense the fresh pain on my features. He relaxed and the dimples were back in full force, making it impossible for me to be upset or uncomfortable.

"So am I disqualified for my playing football in high school? Or do I get a blank slate for college?"

"Hmm," I said, pretending to consider the situation very cautiously. "I suppose you get a bye this time, but step out of line, and I'll be forced to bench you."

I winked at him coyly, and his whole face lit up.

"I think I can play by those rules, coach."

We exchanged phones and typed in our numbers. Alice had been unusually quiet through all of this, but I could practically hear her celebrating internally. I knew the minute we were alone she was going to pounce on me. We parted ways outside the diner, and as I walked away from Emmett McCarty I was thinking that my New Year's Resolution was going to be easier to keep than I originally thought.

~*~*~

It had been a month, and Jacob still hadn't stopped calling. What did he expect? Forgiveness? He was lucky I didn't cause him bodily harm or tell everyone about his itty bitty teeny weenie. I reminded myself to add a sharpie to my purse next time I went to Harry's. Those bathroom walls could use some decorating. Maybe Alice was right about revenge after all.

I had a lot of studying to do, and Alice would not stop talking, so I grabbed my back pack and headed to Greyhouse, my favorite coffee shop. I walked in, sat down, and got my things situated before I went to order my drink. Reading my Anatomy book was about to bore me to tears. I settled in to read, and it didn't take long before I was fighting off sleep. I stretched my arms over my head and yawned. I looked up and met the eyes of a man sitting across from me at the next table.

He gave me a small smile and a nod before looking back at his book. I pretended to study again, but I kept looking up over my book at him. He had on a plaid flannel rolled up to his elbows, accentuating his arm muscles, jeans with holes worn in them, and boots. He had scruff on his chin, and his blonde hair was grown out and messy. I kept trying to see what he was reading, but I figured staring and squinting would be even more obvious than the quick glances. It looked like a novel. I'd always thought boys who read were hot.

Maybe if I accidentally dropped my pen on purpose, I could…

Oh! He reached down to pick it up for me. "Here you go ma'am." He smiled at me, and I melted a little.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." He gave me a quick nod and went back to reading.

Guh. So much for studying anything but him. I was considering dropping my pen again when the bell on the door jingled, and Edward Cullen came walking in. I dove behind my book trying to hide.

He went to the counter to order, and it was disgusting how all the female baristas gathered behind the register eager to help him. Ugh. He made me sick. Stupid jock.

He got his drink and scanned the room for a place to sit. I ducked behind my book even further. A few seconds later, I heard the chair across from me scrape against the floor. I didn't look up. I felt something tap on my head. I glanced up to find Edward sitting at my table, grinning, and holding a pencil like he was about to tap me with it again.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asked.

"I think it would probably be more polite to ask before you make yourself at home, and there are plenty of other tables available."

"You were awfully eager for me to sit with you on New Year's Eve," he smirked.

Damn it! Why couldn't I remember… oh, tequila.

"What are you doing here anyway?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"Why are you so hostile? I need to study for my molecular biology test, and it's way too loud at the dorms."

"Study? I figured you had someone to do that for you. And molecular biology? That's a tough course for someone like you."

"Well it's a required course for pre-med, and no, I do all my own studying."

"Pre-med? Yeah right."

"Excuse me, Jasper, would you mind telling my girl here what my major is," Edward turned to the handsome stranger and asked.

He looked up from his book, frowned a little, and answered, "Pre-med."

"Thanks, man. I've almost got my paper finished for your class tomorrow. I think you're going to like it," Edward said.

The guy shook his head, smiled in amusement, and went back to his book.

"He's my TA for Comp II," Edward told me. "He's a cool guy."

I glanced over at the handsome stranger again. Jasper. The name fit.

Edward cleared his throat to get my attention. "So, do you want to go with me to the football banquet next month?" Edward asked drumming his fingers on the table.

I spit the drink of my latte I'd been taking back into the cup. "You need a ride?" I asked confused. I would have assumed he had a car.

"No, I mean do you want to GO with me?" he tried again.

"What? You mean as your date? No! Hell no!"

"What's wrong with you? Everyone brings a date, and I thought… well everybody on the team really likes you and I thought you would want to be there…" Edward said uncomfortably.

"I'm not dating any more athletes, and that includes going as your date to any athletic events. Plus I don't need you doing me any favors." I could feel my face grow red with anger. Did he think he was doing me a favor by allowing me the pleasure of his company? Like that would make my life so much better. Ugh, I was so tired of this conceited attitude. They all had it.

"Listen, Jacob is an ass. Everybody's pissed at him for what he did to you, and…"

"And I should forgive him, because he's really sorry! You're ridiculous! You're all ridiculous," I snarled.

"No! Would you calm down? I was going to say, that I'm sorry I didn't do something to stop him sooner. You didn't deserve to be treated like that. You're an amazing woman, and Jacob didn't know how lucky he was. If I…never mind. I need to go."

He stood up, slung his bag over his shoulder, and walked out the door. I sat there with my mouth hanging open. I felt bad. Really bad. I hadn't meant to be so mean. Edward had always been nice to me. I just couldn't handle anything related to the team right now.

"Here you go, miss. I think your pen fell off the table gain when your boyfriend left," Jasper said, holding up my pen for me again.

"Oh, he's not my boyfriend," I corrected him. "We're friends, I guess. Acquaintances really."

A huge smile broke out on Jasper's face.

"I'm Jasper." He held out his hand to shake mine.

As I shook it I noticed it was rough, like he was used to hard work. So, he worked with his hands and taught English Comp? That was impressive.

"Can I ask you a question?" he said.

"Sure."

"Are you going to tell me your name, or do I have to guess?"

"Oh, sorry." I looked down and blushed. "I'm Bella."

"Bella, can I ask you another question?"

"Of course," I smiled back at him trying to give him a flirty eye. I probably looked like I had allergies.

"Are you hungry? It's just about dinner time, and I have a mind for some pancakes."

"Really? Like a date?"

"If that's okay with you," he shrugged.

"Um, sure, I mean, wait… do you play sports?" I asked.

"Um, well I like to think I'm in pretty good shape. I can hold my own on the basketball court."

"No, I mean for the school, like on a team." I clarified, realizing how ridiculous I sounded.

"I'm a TA. I'm working on my masters in comparative lit, but that's all I do for the school. I prefer to exercise my intellect, I guess."

"Perfect. Pancakes sound perfect."

The pancakes were good. The company was better. Jasper was the perfect gentleman, and I was impressed at how he could compliment me without making me uncomfortable. He was smart, like out of my league smart. Luckily he didn't seem the kind of person who got off on making everyone else feel stupid. If I found something interesting he would explain it to me and let me ask questions. Honestly, I would have found anything he had to say fascinating.

He walked me across campus back to my apartment, and up to my door.

"So, Bella, can I see you again?" he asked smiling down at me. His eyes were warm and intense at the same time.

"That would be nice," I answered.

Jasper reached down for my hand and lifted to his lips kissing it softly. "Goodnight, Bella."

"Goodnight," I whimpered, left speechless by how dreamy he was.

"What's wrong with you?" Alice asked when I closed the door behind me.

"Nothing's wrong," I sighed.

"Your face is all flushed and you're smiling. You never smile. Not lately anyway." Alice got up and stood in front of me to feel my forehead. "Are you sick?"

"No, I'm not sick. I just...I just met someone."

"You met someone? Are you sure you weren't abducted by aliens?"

"No, Alice, I met a guy. We met at the coffee shop and then we went out for pancakes, and he's just so...so...hot," I sighed and fell back on the couch.

"What about that other guy, Emmett?" Alice questioned.

"Oh, yeah, I like him too," I admitted. "The best part is that neither of them are athletes."

"Woah, Bella, dating two guys at once. That seems a little wild for you."

"I'm just keeping my options open like you told me to. It's not like I want anything serious right now. I just got out of a relationship. It's causal. I'm dating. Playing the field. Seeing what's out there."

"Just be careful," Alice warned. "You don't want to get in over your head."

I nodded in agreement, but I couldn't believe Alice, the one who was always encouraging me to find Mr. Right wasn't excited about my prospects. I wasn't the same old Bella who played everything safe. Safe was boring. I was dating around. I'd never had many guys ask me out before, much less two at the same time. I was wild. Okay, so I knew dating around wasn't usually my style, but I'd never really had a style except for pining after unattainable jocks or being completely devoted to a guy that turned out to be a jackass. I was having fun. There was nothing wrong with having a little fun.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! You should really go read Daisy3853's multi chapter Underexposed. It's the best story ever. Go ahead and review. Please. I've lost my umpf for dramatic begging A/N's. **


	2. Chapter 2

A/N:

Jackbauer: You might think you got off easy in this divorce, but people are obviously taking my side. Just because you don't have to pay alimony, doesn't mean you won.

Daisy: Yes, people love you more. We all know how important attention is to you. I'm okay with that. I have all the attention I need.

Jackbauer: Oh my gosh, is justaskalice still there? I don't know why I wasn't enough for you. You just had to cheat on me with her and LaViePastiche. Why couldn't you just love me??? WHY WHY WHY???

Daisy: i have a lot of love to give. i love everyone equally! it's not my fault that was never enough for you.

Jackbauer: Well its ok - I have plenty of love now. I got a lot more reviews than you for OUR story.

Daisy: i can live with that. you were always the celebrity in our relationship.

Jackbauer: Sometimes I wish I never got so famous. Then maybe things could have been different....

Daisy: woulda coulda shoulda. I doubt it. let's get to the point... this is getting long and ridiculous. this is part 2 of 3 of our collab, and we hope you're enjoying it. :)

Jackbauer: And I hope you review on my profile....

Daisy: yes please review on her profile. I obviously don't deserve any reviews since I broke her heart into a million pieces , and remember we don't own twilight or the characters.

Jackbauer: Oh my gosh, so passive aggressive.

Ouch! Don't pinch me!

Get off of me!

Meant to be Broken Chapter 2

"You're going down, you big oaf," I threatened.

"Oooh, I'm shakin' in my boots… You don't scare me, shorty."

"I am NOT short."

"Should we pause to examine the evidence?"

"Just because you're freakishly tall doesn't mean I'm short." I challenged.

"Just because you're a midget doesn't mean I'm freakishly tall. I'm perfectly proportional for a man of my build."

"Whatever. You're still going down."

"Oh it's on, shorty. It's on like Donkey Kong." Emmett hip checked me.

I furrowed my eyebrows and bit my lip in concentration. My shoulders hunched slightly forward and my legs were firm, shoulder width apart. I held my fists up in front of me. I was ready for a fight.

The bell sounded to begin round one. I hung back a little, waiting for him to make the first move. I clenched my fists tighter, and I could feel the pent up aggression burn as it flowed through my veins. I saw fire. Fire in the shape of a boy with tanned skin, espresso eyes, and a perfect, arrogant smile gracing his lips. Jacob.

I couldn't wait any longer, watching him dance around me, looking for weaknesses. I went for the gut.

I heard Emmett's grunts of exertion punctuating each thrust of his Wiimote. I could tell he was struggling to block my punches. He had underestimated my speed, and thanks to my height, I was able to sneak a few punches into his torso.

I vaguely registered the bell sounding to end the round, but I kept on throwing punches. My eyes burned with unshed tears, and I was biting down painfully hard on my bottom lip. I was a raging machine of fury.

I finally felt strong arms encircle me, pinning my arms to my sides. I fought against them fruitlessly, taking a deep breath before starting to calm down.

"Whoa, Bella, time's up. It's just us; it's just a game, sweetie.

I stilled immediately, blinking furiously and taking a few deep, soothing breaths. His arms gradually loosened their hold around me. He looked at my face and realized I was upset. He reached for me again, cradling my face gently between his hands. I slowly looked up to meet his gaze. The man before me was the ultimate paradox. He had the body of a bear but the heart of a lamb. His giant hands were so strong I was sure they could crush me, yet he held me so tenderly. His brows were knit tightly together, and his eyes darted quickly over my face, cautiously evaluating. His large thumbs carefully wiped away the tears I didn't realize were falling.

"Bella, what did he do to you?"

My heart stuttered for a moment, and I gaped at him. I supposed I was being a _little_ obvious. What with the crying because of a video game.

"Who?" I whispered.

"Don't do that. I'm not stupid; I can tell you're in pain. Just tell me what I can do to help you. If there's an ass I can kick, I'll do it, for you. I just can't stand to see you like this."

I knew I needed to be honest with him. He was being so good to me, and I wasn't giving him anything in return. Emmett deserved better. I reached up to rest my hands on his, closing my eyes and taking a deep, calming breath.

"I just need some time. My ex-boyfriend cheated on me, and I'm just a little broken still. I really enjoy hanging out with you… You make me forget everything else. I feel like I've known you my whole life."

"But?"

"But I'm not ready for anything serious. He… he sort of made it hard for me to trust. I thought I knew him; I thought he loved me. I just don't know if I can go through something like that again."

"Bella… I would never hurt you like that. I want to protect you, and see you smile. If you need to take it slow, that's okay. You're worth it."

I took a staggering breath, and met his gaze again. I didn't know why, but somehow I could tell that the man looking back at me was honest and genuine. I had meant it when I said I felt like I had known him all my life. We had an easy camaraderie, and I just felt so… comfortable with him. He felt safe and warm, and just being around him made me happy. Just then he quirked a grin at me, flashing his dimples. Damn those dimples. They set off a chain reaction every time I saw them and I couldn't help but grin back stupidly. I stood on my tip toes trying to reach his cheek with my lips, but I didn't even come close. I ended up kissing his arm instead. Emmett realized what I'd been trying to do, and leaned down planting a soft gentle kiss on my lips. It was...nice.

"There, that's more like it," he chuckled.

"Thanks, Emmett. Thanks for being so good to me." I hugged him.

"Hey, don't thank me," he said, and he pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. "Any man worth his salt would do the same."

I relaxed into his arms, but even as I enjoyed the feel of them around me, I felt a small hole somewhere around my midsection. There was something missing, but I had no idea what it was. I pulled away suddenly, ignoring the hint of disappointment I saw on his face when I did so.

"You up for round 2?" I asked, gesturing toward the television and winking at him encouragingly.

"I'm always up for round two," he laughed. "You're ferocity was hot and all, but maybe we should try something less aggressive. Like bowling. Or tennis."

I scowled at him, in what I thought was sure to be a menacing way. Apparently I wasn't as intimidating as I thought because my expression only seemed to make him laugh harder.

"Fine, we can play tennis if you want to. I'll kick your ass either way, and don't you forget it."

He shook his head and handed me my Wiimote.

"We'll see, shorty."

"I am NOT short! We've been over this, _Fezzik_."

"Hey now, I'm pretty sure Fezzik couldn't have handled majoring in Electrical Engineering. So let's at least limit the insults to my height and not my intellect."

"Fine, then stop calling me 'shorty' and we'll call it a draw."

"Whatever you say. Come on, coach, I wanna see who scores first," he said, cocking an eyebrow suggestively.

"I don't think you'll be scoring at all, big guy."

"You just keep telling yourself that."

I laughed again and relaxed into our game. I scored first, but he ended up beating me.

I blamed the dimples.

And that was how I started spending most of spent my Thursday nights, hanging out with Emmett. I fell into a sort of routine. Sunday nights I went over to Jasper's to "study," and Friday nights were reserved for Alice and the girls. Emmett always helped me unwind and have fun, and Jasper, well Jasper was fascinating and freakishly good looking. He knew EVERYTHING. I had never met a more deep, sexy, sensitive man in my life. Emmett's personality was as big as his bicep, while Jasper exuded quiet confidence and intellect. He was on the quiet side, unless you asked him about something he was passionate about, and then he could go on for hours explaining all of it to you. It was amazing to see the way his eyes lit up explaining the works of Focault or Derida. I was having a great time with both of them. I even loved that I was in such high demand. There were a few times when we were laying on the floor of Jasper's bedroom that studying and covert glances became a little more overt, and I might have accidentally made out with him on a couple of occasions.

"Bella Swan, I thought you were studying. Why does your hair look like you just got up from a nap, or…. BELLA!" Alice screeched when I walked in the door after another "study" session.

"Hmmm?" I asked. Jasper was a good kisser. A damn good kisser.

"I can't believe you're dating him, and you haven't told your best friend. I hate you right now!" Alice threw a pillow at me.

"Chill. We're not dating exactly. I don't think. It's just NCMO."

"Oh Bella, non committal make outs never end well," Alice sighed.

"Oh, I'd say this ended pretty well." I winked at her.

"Bella! What about Emmett? Are you still seeing him too?" she asked.

"Yeah, we're hanging out. I'm just hanging out with both of them. Nothing serious. I'm not ready for a relationship, you know that."

"Just be careful. You never know when your soul mate will show up," Alice warned.

"How do you know one of them isn't my soul mate?" I asked.

"I just know. I know what's right for you, and I don't think either of them is it."

"You haven't even met Jasper," I argued.

"Yes, but you told me he's the quiet, sensitive type. You'd end up bored out of your mind and staring at each other all the time."

"Well he does have beautiful eyes," I pointed out, and she growled at me.

"But does he make you ache?"

"Uh, no it's relatively pain free," I said looking at her like she was nuts. Which she was.

"No, ugh! I mean like do you have that little achy feeling in your stomach when you're not around him? If he doesn't make you ache, then he's not the one."

"You're insane," I sighed dramatically.

"See there's no ache. Then he's not the one. You're just going to give me another chance to be right, and I love being right. I was right about Jacob, wasn't I?" Alice challenged me.

"You thought he was gay! How can you say you were right?" I huffed.

"Mark my words, he's into guys. He is totally overcompensating, but I also said he was a jerk and would only hurt you, and I. Told. You. So." She pointed at my chest accentuating each word.

"Okay, you were right," I conceded. "I just want to have fun. I just want to have fun and forget all about the big overcompensating in denial about his sexual identity man that I thought I loved."

"I just have a gut feeling that neither of these guys are THE ONE for you. I'm worried you will miss out on Mr. Right while you're hanging out with the Mr. Wrongs. Plus this whole thing could get very complicated. I hope you've considered that."

"Whatever, Alice."

She was right though. It did get complicated. One Saturday Emmett had asked me to hang out with him and his friends, but Jasper had already asked me to do something that night. I told Emmett I had to go to a study group. Technically Jasper was my study group. I didn't want to hurt Emmett's feelings and tell him I had a date. We hadn't discussed whether I was or was not dating other people, but...well...it was awkward.

Jasper came to pick me up at six. He wanted to go to this great lecture series at the Student Union. He really enjoyed more mature dates, and while I usually would have loved it, that night I just wasn't up for it.

I held his hand while we walked into the Union, but paused just inside the door.

"Bella? What's wrong?"

He looked concerned, and I felt bad for what I was about to do.

"Jasper, do you mind if we don't go to the lecture?"

"Are you feeling sick?"

"No, nothing like that. I just don't really feel like using my brain tonight, you know?"

"Okay, sure," he said. He didn't look like he knew. "Do you… want me to take you home?"

"No, I'd still like to do something. I mean, if you want to."

"What should we do? There's a new documentary playing about the children of the Holocaust."

"Umm… that sounds… interesting." That sounded depressing. I scanned the room, desperate for something else, anything else. My eyes fell on the Rack 'n Roll. "How about bowling?"

"Sure, bowling sounds like fun." I could tell he was trying to sound enthusiastic for my sake.

"Great!"

I grabbed his hand and dragged him down to the bowling alley. That night was glow in the dark Extreme Bowling. Excellent.

The room was dark except for the florescent laser lights and glow in the dark pins. We got settled in lane three, and I set about lacing up my bowling shoes while Jasper searched the alley for two perfectly weighted bowling balls. I had a feeling his quest might take awhile.

I was just starting to get restless when I heard a deep and surprised voice behind me.

"Bella? Is that you?"

Emmett. Oh crap.

I turned around to face him, and he looked as nervous as I felt.

"Emmett… hey! Um, what's up?"

I could hardly hear his answer; I was too busy scanning the room for Jasper. I was pretty sure he said something vague about hanging out with some buddies.

"Bella?"

"Oh, sorry Em. I was just distracted. What were you saying?"

"I was just asking what happened to your study group. I thought you had plans?"

"Oh, right. Well my roommate isn't feeling well, and my friend bailed on us to hang out with her boyfriend. So, my other friend and I got bored studying alone and decided we needed to blow off some steam."

It wasn't an outright lie… Alice was at home with a bit of a cold. Kate was always bailing on me to hang out with Garrett. If we had planned a study group for tonight, all of this would have been true. So why did I feel like such a bad person? Probably because I was a bad person.

"Are you alone? Because you shouldn't be here, alone I mean. I mean you can come join us if you want to. We were just heading over to Pappy's for some dinner. I'm just with friends. You know, totally casual friends."

"Oh thanks, but we, I mean, I just got here. With my friend. We're just gonna… you know, bowl and stuff. And then I'm going home. But, yeah thanks for the invite. Some other time, maybe."

"You seem a little… nervous. Are you feeling okay? Do you want me to wait with you until your friend gets back? I don't mind."

"No! I mean don't be silly. I'm fine."

"Okay, I guess I'll see you in a few days?"

I hadn't thought seriously about what I was doing with the two of them until that moment. All I knew was that I desperately wanted to keep Emmett from seeing that I was out with Jasper. And vice versa. They both knew we were taking things slowly and keeping it casual, but I didn't want to hurt them. I kept thinking about the sick feeling I got in my stomach when I had realized who Leah was, and what Jacob had been doing. I didn't want either of them to feel that way about me. The right thing to do would be to own up to it, but it was just so awkward. I was a terrible person. I needed to talk to them about it, but I couldn't. I had to. I didn't want to. Ugh! I was a mess!

"Yeah, definitely. See you soon, Em."

We hugged awkwardly, and he planted a sweet kiss on my forehead making me feel even more guilty. A quick flash of dimples, and he was gone.

Just in time. Jasper was back.

"Bella! I found us quite a pair. This one is just right for you. You should be able to bowl a good game if you use the stance I showed you." I forced myself to ignore the sense of guilt and dread that was plaguing me and concentrate on bowling.

Jasper made everything strategic, even bowling. It was somehow so endearing. I smiled weakly and nodded, asking him to show me how line up my release again. Watching him move like this was so… hot. The muscles in his arms tensed and flexed, and I was reminded of the way my football boys' bodies did the same. Things were so much easier when I only liked football players. They never liked me back. Well until Jacob, that lying, two-timing…Oh crap. I shook my head as Jasper walked back to me, willing myself to concentrate on him. We were supposed to be having fun. Fun. Fun. Fun. Fun. I was having fun.

"You think you've got it?" he asked, and he had that same excited look on his face that he always did when he was teaching me something.

"I think so, but you might have to help me a bit with my swing."

"Oh I think I can handle that," he smirked. It took me quite a while to get my swing down, because I really enjoyed having Jasper stand right behind me and help me. As soon as I got him off of the technical stuff and got to enjoy him, everything was more relaxed. I liked flirting with him and looking at him, and part of me even enjoyed his intellectual side. The problem was the intellectual side was a big part of him, and a big part of me was starting to find all that stuff really boring.

We ended up having a lot of fun, and I saw a whole new easy-going side of Jasper. I tried not to think about the near miss I'd had with Emmett. That was a close call, way too close.

I was starting to get really worried about my situation. Things with Emmett and Jasper were getting sticky. They both liked me. _Like_ liked me. I had a feeling both of them wanted more if I was willing to give it. I didn't feel ready for something serious. For something like what I'd had with Jacob or thought I had anyway. The other problem was that I liked them both, too. I didn't want a boyfriend, but I also didn't want to let either of them go. Emmett made me laugh. I couldn't help but be happy when I was with him, and I liked feeling happy. Jasper made me all swoony and passionate, and he made me think. I knew I was giving him mixed signals when I told him I wasn't ready for a relationship, but I just couldn't resist his lips anymore than I could resist Emmett's dimples. I needed to slow down with both of them, or I would be no better than Jacob. I was already disgusted at myself for letting it go this far. I just didn't know how to go back.

"You need to choose," Alice scolded me after I told her about my predicament.

"I don't want to choose. For one thing choosing means I'm committing to some sort of something with one of them, and I'm not ready for that. Plus...I can't!" I covered my head with my pillow and groaned.

"Snap out of it, Bella. You're getting closer and closer to being in a relationship with both of them every time you go out. Let's see... they both think you care about them, they both want to be with you, they don't know about each other, hmmmm sound familiar?"

Her implication came through loud and clear, and I glared at her. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. I pouted for a few minutes, while she ignored me and pretended to study.

"I don't know how to choose," I finally broke the silence.

"How about a list of pros and cons!" Alice jumped up, grabbed a spiral, and plopped herself down next to me.

"Okay," I agreed feeling resigned.

"Alright let's start with Emmett since you met him first. He's got a really nice car, and he's built like a truck."

"Alice! I'm not that superficial. Please. But he is awfully muscular," I giggled.

"Well what else then, Miss Not Shallow, what do you like about him?"

"He's fun, he makes me laugh, and we do things together that make me forget about everything else. He's safe, comforting, and protective. He has really nice dimples. He could totally kick Jacob's ass, and he doesn't play sports."

"Okay, so now cons," Alice said after writing everything down. "He doesn't make you ache. What else?"

"I can't kiss him without some sort of step stool."

"Yeah, he might crush you like a bug in bed," Alice contemplated.

"Alice!" I threw a pillow at her.

"What! He is HUGE!"

"I don't think that's a con. Let me think. I can't think of anything else. He's pretty great," I finally concluded.

"Wow, way to reach deep inside yourself," Alice said sarcastically. "Fine, what about Jasper? What are his pros?"

"He's smart. He's interesting. He's motivated - like he has a really bright future. When I'm with him I feel really into him - I mean like he's a really good kisser. Let's see...he's sensitive. He feels things like really deeply. Which is so hot. He is very attentive, and well I'm always staring at his lips. Oh, and he's not an athlete."

"Okay, so basically he's like a woman, but he gets you all hot and bothered?"

"Kind of, yes." I shrugged and then laughed. "I think the con with Jasper would be that sometimes I have no earthly idea what he's talking about. Like what exactly is Post Modern Existentialism?"

"Well it's the way we understand our world in the context of its history, yet blurring reality and fiction and rejecting grand narratives as a basis for our reality," Alice explained matter of factly.

My mouth hung open as I stared at her in shock. Who was this person, and what had she done with my Alice?

"What? I'm really enjoying my philosophy class this semester," she explained. "Only one con? Come on Bella, these lists aren't telling us anything. You're avoiding," Alice chastised me.

"But I don't want to choose. I want everything to stay the same. I like hanging out with both of them," I whined.

"Well you either need to chose one or get rid of them both. What you're doing isn't fair. I bet Jacob truly enjoyed certain things about both you and Leah, too."

I kind of wanted to punch her, but she was right.

"I know. I've got to do something. Just give me a few days to think about it." I didn't want to think about it, but I didn't want anyone to get hurt either. Including me.

~*~*~

I'd been having a rough week. Avoidance seemed to be the name of my game. I didn't want to make a choice or fess up to Jasper and Emmett, so I was just avoiding both of them the best I could. The whole thing was starting to exhaust me. I'd already been avoiding Jacob. It had been almost three months, and he had more or less stopped harassing me, but the days I had to work were especially hard. One day I had to go to work at the training room. I'd begged my boss to be stationed away from the areas I was most likely to run into Jacob during the off-season, but I still worried about it every single time I clocked in.

I had a bad feeling, but so far so good. I heard my name being called over by my boss, which meant he had someone for me to work on. "You're good with the shoulders, right, Bella?"

"Sure," I shrugged.

"Cool, I want you to help Cullen here with an ultrasound. He's got some tendonitis in his throwing arm. I want you to do the treatment first to warm him up, and then work on his range of motion with some stretches."

Cullen… ugh. I'd tried my best to be more cordial to him since the day I was awful to him in the coffee shop, but he still just reminded me of football and the team and Jacob. I had been so excited when I passed my evaluations for therapies like ultrasound, because I that meant I could treat my athletes without one of the licensed ATCs standing over my shoulder. They just had to give me directions. Right then, I wished I was a newbie again so I could run away and let someone else deal with Cullen's tendonitis.

"Hey, Bella," he said from the ultrasound table.

"Hey." I smiled back at him. "How have you been?"

"Good. I haven't seen you around much lately," he said. I was surprised he'd noticed I'd been MIA.

"Oh, well, I'm working in this training room for the off-season, mostly a lot of soccer and basketball people. Not a lot of the guys come back here," I explained as I got out the tube of ultrasound gel to squeeze on his shoulder.

I squeezed it out of the tube, and it made a loud sound that made me giggle like a thirteen year old boy. Edward just smiled and shook his head at me in amusement.

I pulled the ultrasound wand from its cradle and turned the machine on, dialing in the settings until they were at the right levels. I lay my free hand on his chest to steady myself while I used the wand to start rubbing the gel around in the familiar circular motion. It was something I'd done with plenty of other athletes on countless occasions, but this time goose bumps broke out all over my arm, and my breath hitched in my throat. My eyes snapped to his, but he was facing the ceiling, and his eyes were closed like he was concentrating on something.

"Oh, sorry. I know it's cold, but the wand will warm you up in a second," I said.

"It's not that cold," he breathed, and for some reason I felt really embarrassed and awkward about touching his chest and shoulder. It shouldn't have felt awkward. It was my job.

"So, how's the team looking for next year?" I asked like an idiot. The last thing I wanted to talk about was football.

"It's okay. We're not meshing like we should, but a lot of the players are promising."

"Well, you're a great leader. I'm sure you'll get it together once you start spring training." I meant it too. He was amazing with people. They naturally wanted to do what he said, because they wanted to make him happy. He had charisma, but not in a fake or cheesy way. Edward always seemed to be really perceptive about others and what they needed. I felt guilty for letting Jacob's feelings about him cloud the way I saw him. Jacob was clearly not a measure for integrity or character. I should have followed my instincts about him all along. The guys on the team all respected him. I respected him.

We made small talk as I did his ultrasound, and then I helped him stretch out his arm. I was uncomfortable the entire time, and I couldn't figure out why. There was some sort of weird energy between us, and I could only guess it was because he knew about the whole Jacob fiasco.

When we finally finished, it was just about time for me to go home. I cleaned up, grabbed my bag, and got ready to make my way across campus. I walked out the door just as Edward came out of the locker room towards the door. He held it open for me.

"Thanks," I smiled at him.

"No problem," he smiled back, and we started walking down the side walk side by side.

"Bella, wait up!" I heard a familiar voice behind me as the hairs stood up on my neck.

"Crap!" I whispered loud enough for Edward to hear. I started to panic. I wanted to run. I wanted to hide. I wanted to disappear.

"Don't worry about it," he said and put an arm around my shoulder. He kept moving us forward ignoring Jacob completely.

"Bella!" he called out again and finally jogged up beside me. "Oh, Edward, hey, what…what are you guys doing?" Jacob asked looking back and forth between me and Edward.

"We were on our way to dinner," Edward answered him.

"Oh, I was hoping we could talk. We never got a chance to talk," Jacob said reaching out and grabbing my hand. I snapped it back and gawked at him mortified. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing would come out.

"There's nothing to talk about," Edward answered for me. "You had your shot, and you lost it," Edward said pulling me closer and kissing my hair. "Your loss is my gain, and I won't be making the same mistake."

"What the hell?" Jacob looked at me and his hands clenched into fists as his chest started heaving up and down. "Are you serious?"

"Back off, man," Edward took his arm back from my shoulder and stepped in front of me.

"Bella, come on, baby, just talk to me." Jacob tried to move around Edward, but he stepped in his way. Edward looked back at me with a questioning look on his face like he wanted to know if I was okay with what he was doing. I nodded yes and he gave me a quick nod communicating he would take care of it. I wanted to yell at Jake. To tell him where he could go, but I was frozen. Thank goodness Edward was there, or I don't know what I would have done.

"We're leaving, and you're going to leave Bella alone from now on. No more phone calls, no more texts, no more emails, no more showing up when you know she's working. If I have to run you off from here again, I'm not going to be so nice about it." Edward's tone became menacing and my eyes grew wide as I took it all in.

"Man, I should have known you had a thing with her. That explains a lot, man, a whole hell of a lot," Jacob snarled and then stomped off.

Edward didn't relax his posture until Jacob was out of earshot and then he quickly turned putting both of his hands on my arms as if to hold me up. I could feel my bottom lip start to quake, and Edward grabbed me pulling me to his chest and hugging me. "Shhhh, it's okay."

I was so distracted by his arms around me and the way he smelled that I completely forgot I was about to have a breakdown. In fact I forgot all about Jacob. I'm pretty sure I even forgot my name.

"Are you okay?" he asked against my hair.

"I'm okay," I nodded, and he let me go.

"Come on," he grabbed my hand and started walking.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Dinner," he answered decidedly.

"But…but I…"

"Relax, it's not a date. It's just dinner. You do eat, don't you?" Edward smiled at me, and for the second time I couldn't find my voice. I just nodded and let him guide me to his car. He brought me to a silver hatchback in a nearby parking lot. I was surprised. I expected him to drive a sports car or something fancier. Everyone talked about how he was a football legacy and that his dad had played for the NFL.

"What's up, Bella? You look confused," Edward said.

"Your car. I expected something different."

"Like what, a sports car? Something flashier?" Edward laughed, but seemed annoyed.

I sheepishly nodded yes.

"Yeah, I get that a lot. I always thought I did pretty well when I bought this thing. I saved forever, but I guess it didn't live up to everyone else's standards."

"I thought you were rich or something," I blurted out, but immediately felt stupid for saying it.

"Aaah, no. My family has money, but my dad is all about his son having a good work ethic. I had to work for this car," Edward said as he climbed in.

"You had a job? How could you do that and football?"

"I mowed lawns," Edward answered. "I still mow with my little brother during the summers when we're not practicing."

"Huh," I said contemplating this information. I knew a lot of college athletes. I was used to a cocky entitled attitude. Edward seemed humble and down to earth.

"What?" he prodded.

"Nothing. You're just…thanks for saving me back there. I don't want to imagine what might have happened if you weren't there. I…I…just thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm just sorry I let him get to you this time. I didn't see him in the training room before I went to your area."

"Wait, what do you mean this time?" I asked confused.

"Nothing. I shouldn't have said anything. I just don't want you to worry. He's not going to bother you, that's all." He looked uncomfortable and embarrassed. I could tell he wanted to change the subject.

He made it sound like he'd been keeping Jacob away from me even before today. Why would he do that? I knew he wasn't a fan of Jacob personally, but they were teammates. Edward was acquainted with Alice. Maybe he was trying to protect his star safety from bodily harm should Alice hear Jacob got too close. I had no idea. I probably misunderstood. Before I could ask him to clarify, Edward reached down and turned on the stereo.

"The Sporks? You like the Sporks?" I couldn't believe I was hearing my favorite band playing through his speakers.

"You know them?" Edward asked.

"Know them? I'm pretty sure I discovered them. I've loved them ever since the Sooner Longer album."

"I went to high school with the lead singer," Edward grinned at me.

"Get out!" I punched him in the arm.

"Ow! I can't! I'm driving," he laughed.

"Oh my goodness, is he hot in real life? He sang me to sleep all summer," I gushed.

"Please tell me that question was rhetorical."

I giggled in my seat, and Edward pulled into the parking lot of a little restaurant just off campus. I climbed out of the car, and he held the door open for me. We sat down in a booth and looked at our menus after the waitress took our drink orders.

"I'm not even that hungry," Edward admitted. "I had a late lunch."

"It's still early. Why are we eating dinner then? You could have waited until later."

"You seemed upset, and I told Jacob we were going to dinner. I cannot tell a lie." He held up his hand like a boy scout. "Want to share something?"

"Sure, what do you like?"

"How about we get sweet potato fries, chips and queso, and fried mushrooms," he said as he studied the menu.

"You want to share three things which constitute the most unhealthy and disgusting food pairing in the history of the world?"

"What do you mean unhealthy? There are two veggies, but you're right…we need a protein. Wings?"

"Whatever you want," I laughed. So much for him not being hungry.

Conversation seemed to flow after that. We figured out we had two of the same classes just different sections, and Edward promised to share the study guide he made for Anatomy and Physiology with me. I teased him about his wild hair and the fact that one of the coach's wives had a huge crush on him and wouldn't leave him alone.

He seemed pretty irritated when I paid for our meal, but I explained it was only right after he rescued me and then went to eat with me when he wasn't hungry. Of course he devoured 90% of the food we ordered while I watched in part awe and part disgust. Edward drove me back to my apartment, and I didn't start feeling awkward again until he got out to walk me to my door.

"Thanks for going out to dinner with me, Bella. I really enjoyed your company," he said, standing a good three feet away from me.

"I had fun too, thanks." And that's when it happened. My stomach started to ache right between my chest and my bellybutton, and I didn't want him to leave. I wanted to keep laughing and talking and smelling his cologne. Not him. Anyone but him. He was the freaking quarterback! No, it must have just been indigestion from all the junk food I just ate.

"I'll call you about studying for Anatomy," he said as he started to take a few steps backward toward his car.

"Sure," I responded quickly, flung myself into the apartment, slammed the door, and rested my body against it. Not him.

A/N: Thank you for your continued support in my ficwife divorce. Please review to show daisy3853 that she made a huge mistake.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **

**jackbauer: so i guess this is the last chapter, huh?**

**Daisy: Thank goodness, now I can finally stop interacting with y….I mean… yeah, too bad.**

**jackbauer: It doesn't have to be. We could write more. There's still Jasper and Alice to resolve**

**daisy: this is edward and bella's story. not jasper and alice's**

**jackbauer: what about that crackfic we've always wanted to write together? Can we start that now?**

**daisy: nope. been there done that. I don't really like writing comedy. I prefer emo.**

**jackbauer: Well do you want to write that Emmett/Carlisle story we brainstormed?**

**daisy: now you're just making things up. You're too prude to write slash.**

**jackbauer: I would do it if it meant we could do something together again. **

**daisy: i think we both need to just move on. the divorce is painful enough without dragging it out.**

**jackbauer: But you said we could still be friends**

**daisy: Well there are friends you talk to everyday and friends you occasionally think of fondly when you're bored. **

**jackbauer: YOU OBVIOUSLY HATE ME!**

**daisy: sigh.**

**jackbauer: I'M NEVER WRITING FAN FIC AGAIN AND IT IS ALL YOUR FAULT!**

**daisy: *****eyeroll***** stop being so dramatic**

**jackbauer: (sings) **_**How can I live without you…**_

**daisy: omg stop. This a/n is big and annoying. **

**jackbauer: I AM NOT BIG AND ANNOYING!**

**Daisy: Is that the phone ringing? I better go. **

Meant to be Broken Chapter 3

I was determined not to think about Edward.

I tried not to think of him every time I passed the ultrasound station in the training room. I tried not to think of him every time I camped out at my table at the coffee shop where he had made himself welcome. I tried not to think of him when I studied for Anatomy with his totally anal-retentive study guide. I mean, the boy used charts and color coded everything. It was cute. I especially tried not to think of him when I was with Emmett or Jasper, because surely either one of them would be better for me than Edward.

I found myself trying so hard not to think about him, it was all I had time to think about.

I couldn't fall for Edward. I just couldn't. Edward was an athlete, and athletes couldn't be trusted. He'd proven that when I found he'd known what Jacob was doing to me, but didn't tell me. Was that the kind of person that made a good friend? Still, I'd thought we were friends. I wanted to be his friend, but I couldn't. I needed to stay away from him.

So there I was, trying not to think about Edward while studying my super duper color coded charts on the endocrine system. Jasper sat across from me at the coffee shop, quietly tapping his pen on the table, a highlighter perched like a cigar between his back teeth. I caught him sneaking glances at me, and he just gave me a half grin. I had to tell myself not to think about how his eyes would have been much prettier if they were green instead of blue.

"Jasper?"

"Yeah, Bella?"

I wanted to tell him that I couldn't do this anymore. I couldn't balance dating around on top of getting over Jacob and thinking obsessively about Mr. Dazzler. "My brain's getting pretty fried. Maybe we should go to Harry's and blow off some steam for awhile." Maybe I needed some liquid courage to actually get the words out of my mouth.

"Sure, I could use some fun," he answered, and we started packing up our things to go.

We made our way down State street to the bar, sliding into the last empty booth in the back. Jasper made his way to the crowded bar to grab us a pitcher, and I sat with my head in my hands. These boys were starting to give me a headache.

I felt a hand gently rubbing my back, and the contact sent shivers radiating down all of my limbs. I felt a small surge of hope and smiled to myself; Jasper's touch usually didn't have this effect on me.

"Thanks Jasper, that feels good. I guess I'm just a little tense."

"Jasper?" a voice which was definitely not Jasper's answered.

"Edward?"

Oh no.

My head shot up and I turned to face the eyes I'd been trying to forget. He looked like I had just killed his puppy or something. Why was he always looking at me like that?

"What do you want, Cullen?" I practically spat. He was the last person I needed to see right now.

His hand stopped rubbing my back, and he tensed, his expression falling even more. Great, now I'd killed all his puppies.

"Nothing, I don't want anything. I was just trying to… I mean, you looked so… oh forget it."

He turned to walk away, and before I could stop myself, I reached out to grab the back of his coat.

"Wait, Cullen. Wait. I'm sorry, that was really rude. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just a little on edge."

"Edward," he said.

"What?"

"Please call me Edward. The guys and coaches call me Cullen… I'd rather you didn't."

"Oh, okay. Edward."

He smiled widely and slid into the booth, across from me.

"So, why'd you think I was Jasper?"

"We came in together. He's just at the bar getting a pitcher. We've been studying all day and needed to unwind for awhile."

"You've been with Jasper? My TA, Jasper?"

"Yeah…"

"The Jasper I introduced you to that time at Greyhouse."

"Well, yes. How many Jaspers do you know?"

"Just the one," he mumbled. His brows furrowed together, and he seemed to be lost in though. I didn't think they were happy thoughts. "How long have you guys been… hanging out?"

"Pretty much since that day. We get together to study and stuff once or twice a week. He's a great study buddy."

"Study buddy… yeah, I bet he's great at _studying_."

"Edward?"

My beer was here.

"Jasper," he greeted him, before gesturing to me. "And Bella?"

"Yeah, Bella," Jasper answered, setting the pitcher and mugs down in front of me and sliding in next to me. He draped his arm over my shoulder, and I was suddenly uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. Edward seemed to be staring daggers at Jasper's arm, which I shrugged off nonchalantly, leaning forward on the pretense of pouring myself a beer.

"Should I get another glass for Edward?" Jasper asked as he turned to me.

"No, man. Don't bother. I don't want to intrude on… whatever. I'll just get back to my friends," Edward answered before I could.

"Okay sounds good," said Jasper.

"Bye Edward," I murmured trying to sound friendly. "Thanks for checking on me."

"Of course, you know I worry about you," he shrugged. "I'm… glad you're not here alone. You guys have fun."

He was gone before I could say anything else, and Jasper's arm resumed its position around my shoulders. We drank in silence for awhile, making our way through our first and second pitchers in record time. I was feeling lightheaded and flushed, and I was glad for Jasper's steadying arm around me. Every time I chanced a look at Edward and his friends, he was staring at me. The kind of stare that makes your heart rate pick up and caused all the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up. We were just starting on our third pitcher when I opened my big mouth.

"Jasper," I started. I was suddenly grateful for all of the liquid courage, and I took a deep breath before my honesty spilled out. "You know I can't keep doing this. I just...I don't think we want the same things here, and I don't want to keep leading you on."

He looked defeated, but resigned. His arm tightened slightly around my shoulders, and I leaned into him, resting my head on his chest.

"Yeah, I could sense you were feeling this way. I understand."

"I've tried, Jasper, I really have. It's just not… _there_. You know? I like you. You're kind, sensitive, honest, brilliant… and gorgeous."

"Go on," Jasper said, and we both chuckled.

"I just don't feel it. Whatever it is."

"I know; you don't have to explain. I like you too, but I don't think this… whatever this is… is enough."

I nodded silently, hoping we were through with the heavy talk.

"You ready for me to take you home?"

"No, not just yet. You can go ahead and go, I think I'm going to call Alice and have her meet me down here for awhile."

"You sure? Do you want me to wait with you?"

"No, no don't be silly. I'm sure she'll be here in a flash. And I could use a few minutes alone before she gets here."

I saw Jasper cast a wary glance at Edward, some sort of tense conversation passing wordlessly between them.

"Just be careful, Bella. Please? You deserve better than one of them."

He gestured at Edward's group in general, and I nodded.

"I promise. You don't have to worry. The last thing on my mind right now is another football player."

I was lying, of course. Edward was the first and only thing on my mind right then. Jasper seemed convinced though, offering me one last hug and gentle kiss to my forehead. He slid slowly out of the booth, tossing some money on the table to pay for our pitchers, and turned to walk away.

He stopped and turned.

"Call me soon? I mean… I'd still like to study with you, if that's okay."

"Of course I'll call you. You're a great study buddy," I smiled.

He grinned again before turning and walking out the door. I poured myself another, deciding finishing the drinks alone would be less pathetic than calling Alice down here to mope with me.

I was barely halfway through my first glass when someone slid in across from me. I didn't have to look up to know who it was. The churning in my stomach was almost enough. Add to that the sensation that every inch of my skin was crackling with some unknown energy, and well… I was 99.9% sure that it was Edward.

"What happened, Bella?" he said, laying his hand on mine which was lying flat in front of me, next to my beer glass. "He shouldn't have left you like this. Why'd he leave you all alone like that?"

"I asked him to go."

"You asked him? Why? Did he do something to you? Did he hurt you? If he hurt you, I swear to God… I don't care if he's my TA; he can flunk me if he wants to. I'll kick his -"

"Edward, stop. He didn't do anything except be my friend."

"Your friend? I thought you guys were -"

"No. We're just friends. I mean it's not like we didn't try. There's nothing wrong with him. He's smart; he's good looking; he's sensitive. Any girl would be an idiot not to… Why am I telling you this?"

And why was Edward looking at me like he cared. Ugh! I was completely pathetic!

"You don't have to; I didn't mean to pry," he shrugged. "You just looked like you needed someone to talk to."

"I know," I sighed. "It's just awkward."

"Why is it so awkward, Bella? Tell me why. I thought we came to some sort of truce the other day, but earlier you acted like you hated me again. I...I just don't want you to hate me. I can't stand the thought of you hating me."

His eyes were hard and intense now, and the way he was looking at me was making me feel even more flushed than the beer.

"I don't know," I mumbled.

"Yes, you do," he pushed.

"No, I don't."

"You do," he pleaded, taking my hand in both of his. "Don't lie to me, Bella. Tell me why. Tell me the truth."

"Because you're just like _him_," I whispered. "You _knew_. You knew the whole time, and you didn't say _anything_. Not one word. What kind of person watches that happen and doesn't say anything?"

He dropped my hand quickly, and I regretted being so harsh with him. I knew it wasn't his fault. He hadn't done this to me, Jacob had. But they were all fundamentally the same, and well, I'd made a resolution.

"Bella, I wanted to tell you. I tried so many times. I told Jake you deserved better. I told him if he didn't tell you that I would. He promised he was going to tell you over Christmas break. I didn't want to hurt you. I just...I thought if I told you, you wouldn't believe me or it would warp your perception of me and ruin... I wanted you to find out from him. I was wrong, and I'm sorry."

I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything. I just emptied my glass of beer and then the pitcher. Edward never moved his eyes from my face.

"I'm going home," I announced slamming my glass down on the table.

"You're not driving," Edward announced.

"Don't be silly. I don't have a car here. I'm walking back." I started to slide out of the booth.

"No way. It's cold, and you're out of it. Come on, I'll drive you."

I started to argue, but then I remembered how I could smell his cologne in his car and how he had The Sporks on his stereo, and I didn't want to tell him goodbye. It would make me all achy again. We walked out to the car, and the cold air seemed like it wanted to push me over. I wobbled a bit, and Edward grabbed me around the waist steadying me.

I rested my head on his shoulder. Damn, he smelled good.

"Bella?"

"Edward?"

"Are you sniffing me?"

"Oh yeah, sorry."

"It's okay. I don't mind," he chuckled.

He got me into the car and kept looking at me every few seconds probably trying to make sure I didn't throw up in his car. I wasn't _that _drunk. I was just a little...tipsy.

The drive to the apartment was way too short. Edward hopped out of the car and came around to my side. He opened my door and held a hand out to help me up. I shook my head no at him. I didn't want to get up. I wanted to stay in his car, and I wanted him to get back in.

"Can you stand up, Bella?" I shook my head no and tried to give him a mean look so he would know I was serious. "Do you want me to help you?" I nodded yes. I wanted him to help me by getting back in the car. He must not have understood my signals, because before I knew what was happening he was scooping me up out of the car. I felt him trying to set my feet on the ground, but I wasn't having that. Walking was overrated. I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck holding on for dear life.

"Bella, what are you doing?" Edward sounded panicked.

"You said you would give me ride home," I giggled.

"This isn't exactly what I meant," Edward said uncomfortably as he shifted me a little bit on his waist.

"Giddy up," I squealed and kicked his butt a little with my heel.

I could hear Edward mumbling something, and then he started making his way toward my door.

"What the hell?" I heard Alice's voice and high heels clicking on the sidewalk.

"Shit!" I screeched and let go of Edward who let go of me. I went crashing to the ground landing flat on my ass. "Ouch!"

"Are you okay?" Edward and Alice asked in unison.

"I'm fine," I answered sobering up considerably as I stood.

"Oooookay, I'll just let the two of you finish up whatever it was you were doing," Alice said looking back and forth between me and Edward suspiciously.

"We weren't..." I started to say.

"I don't even want to know." She shook her head, walked inside, and shut the door behind her.

Before I had time to be embarrassed, Edward said, "So, we have an Anatomy test this week." He took a step toward me, and my heart started racing at his proximity.

"Yeah, I've been using your notes," I said barely louder than a whisper.

"I know you already have a study buddy, but maybe you'd like to get together and study each others' anatomy. You know, like compare notes."

But I already had his notes. "Okay." Who cared about the stupid notes? I wanted to study his anatomy.

"So I'll pick you up Wednesday at eight?" He took another step toward me.

"Okay," I swallowed hard.

"Bella?" He started to lean forward until our faces were almost touching.

"Uh huh," I whimpered barely able to breathe with him so close.

He leaned even closer until his lips brushed my ear and whispered, "I really wish you hadn't made that New Year's Resolution." With that he reached down and opened the door for me and then turned and walked back to his car.

~*~*~

I spent the beginning of the week in a daze. I found myself daydreaming about green eyes and the strong arms that carried me to my door. I thought about the way he'd made me laugh when he took me to dinner. By the time he picked me up to study for Anatomy on Wednesday, I was a nervous wreck. Maybe he was different. Maybe he was a good guy. Maybe I was delusional about the chemistry between us, but I couldn't get him out of my head.

When he came to my door, I wasn't sure how I was supposed to act. Were we friends? Should I flirt with him? I decided to just try and be myself. I just wasn't exactly sure who I was. The the whole time we were studying I found everything he said to be hilarious. He brought me to his secret studying corner in the library, and made me vow to never show it to anyone else. We started going over our notes, but he kept distracting me by doodling on my papers or making funny faces. We didn't start out there, but after a little bit we somehow managed to be sitting so close that our arms were touching. I might have been imagining things, but I thought he was leaning over a little more than necessary to compare our notes.

The library was about to close so we started packing up our books. Edward put on his back pack and then took mine from my hand and slung it over your shoulder.

"What are you doing?" I giggled. Giggling? What in the world? I wasn't a giggler.

"I wanted to carry it for you," he shrugged.

"Why?" For some reason I thought it was the strangest idea in the world. There was obviously something wrong with me. Smooth, Bella.

A blush crept up Edward's neck and he shuffled his feet. He seemed embarrassed. In my experience athletes rarely acted embarrassed. "To be nice?" he answered.

"Oh." I looked at the floor and smiled.

"After you." He motioned for the door.

We began the walk back to the car. There was a group of girls walking down the side walk in our direction. "Hi, Edward," one of them drawled.

"Hey," he flashed her a smile and kept walking next to me. Ugh, I always hated how Jacob had all these little groupie girls that liked to flirt with the players. They were almost as bad as the cheerleaders.

We stepped off the curb and couple of guys who had just gotten out a car saw us, "Yo, QB," one of them called over to Edward.

He stopped and turned. "Oh hey, man, what's up."

"Man, those workouts are killing us, man. You've got to talk to coach for us," the other guy said clapping Edward on the shoulder.

They split off into football speak while I just stood there and stood there and stood there. I finally started to get irritated. Then I realized something. Edward was an athlete.

It wasn't like I didn't know it before; I just hadn't realized how typical he was. From the smiling at the giggly fan girls to forgetting I existed the second someone brought up football, he wasn't any different. They really were all the same.

"I'm just going to walk back," I interrupted their huddle, picked my bag up off the ground where he'd set it and started walking. It wasn't far, and it wasn't that cold.

"Bella, wait!" Edward called after me.

I kept going, and I heard him tell the guys he would talk to them later and run after me. "Bella, I'm sorry. There's a lot of stuff going on with the team right now. I didn't mean to ignore you. Please, let me drive you back." He grabbed my arm to stop me, and I snapped it back. I turned around to yell at him, but froze when I saw the desperation on his face. I was stupid for building him up in my mind as something I wanted. I guess it came from years of unrequited football player crushes. I was weak. I couldn't help it, but now I knew better.

"It's no big deal. I just felt like walking. Have a good night." He might not be the one for me, but I didn't have to be mean about it. He hadn't exactly done anything wrong.

"Okay...I guess. I wanted to ask you something though." He tentatively put a hand on my shoulder to get me to stop walking. I stopped and looked at him and my breath caught in my throat. He was awfully good looking. Of course he was; he was a football player! They were all good looking. Well not Mike Newton, but most of them were.

"I was um wondering..." He trailed off and started looking unsure again. "Oh, do you want to study again tomorrow night? Our test is on Friday."

"I can't. I have plans already." I was glad to be busy, because I wasn't sure my hormones could handle another night with Mr. Almost Perfect.

On the other hand, I was also dreading another confusing evening with Emmett. Just because I told Jasper we weren't going to work out romantically, it didn't mean I thought things were going to work out with Emmett. The more time I spent with him, the more I liked him, but as a friend. I just didn't feel a spark.

"With Jasper?" Edward asked with disappointment marking his features.

"No. I haven't talked to Jasper since the other night. I'm going to my friend Emmett's to study," I explained. God, I sounded like a complete floozie going out with a different guy every night of the week. That was really not me, or at least it didn't used to be.

"Emmett McCarty?" Edward asked surprised.

"You know him?" What this some sort of sick joke? Green Eyes knew Jasper AND Emmett?

"Yeah, he's a good guy," Edward said.

"Well, I'll see you later." I did my best to try and give him a friendly smile that hid the disappointment I was feeling.

"Later." He gave me a quick wave and walked back to his car.

I fought the urge to cry the rest of the way home. Why did he have to play football? I imagined what it could be like if he was just a regular guy, but he wasn't. There was a reason I made my resolution. It was for the best. I was just glad I remembered that before it was too late.

~*~*~

"Bells, there's something I need to tell you," Emmett was suddenly very serious as we ate our food the next day. Oh no. Please don't let this be a relationship defining talk. I didn't know if I could bear to hurt this big teddy bear.

"Uh huh?" I took a really huge bite of my burger so I could avoid talking.

"We've been hanging out for a while now." I nodded my head in agreement. "And I think you know I care about you a lot." I nodded again, but felt like I wanted to die a little bit. "Well I don't want anything to come between us. I consider you one of my closest friends."

What? Friends? "Me too," I said with my mouth still full and nodded my head even faster.

"So," he continued, "I really feel like I just need to come right out and tell you this." I braced myself. "I met someone."

"What? I mean oh like a girl? That's awesome!" I cheered and punched him in the shoulder. "Who is she?"

Emmett beamed and answered, "Rosalie, but I call her Rosie. She doesn't let anybody else call her that."

"That's great, Emmett. Tell me all about her."

I spent the next two hours listening to Emmett tell me every detail he knew about Rosalie, and I was really happy for him.

"I can't wait to meet her," I said as it was time to leave.

"I can't wait for you to meet her. Man, I was so worried you were going to be upset. I guess I was a little conceited to think Emmett McCarty being off the market would devastate the ladies," he laughed.

"I'll survive somehow," I sighed dramatically.

"I'm actually going to go meet up with Rosalie now. You wanna come with me?"

"No, not tonight. You go have fun, but I want to meet her really soon."

"Okay, babe. I'll call you." Emmett leaned down gave me one of his famous hugs.

I felt like a weight had been lifted my shoulders as I walked home from my dinner with Emmett. He seemed happy, and I got to say friends with him. Everything seemed to be working itself out. My mind wandered back to Edward and what he was doing tonight. I found myself wishing I was with him studying for our test or at least talking to him.

"Bella?" I heard a female voice call out to me.

I turned toward the voice and was surprised to see Leah standing there. "Leah?"

"Hey, I wasn't sure you'd remember me. I mean you got pretty plastered that night," she teased and caught up with me. We were walking the same direction.

"Very funny. How have you been?" I asked her.

"I'm really great. I, oh well I broke our resolution." She flashed me a huge smile.

"What! You're back with Jacob?" I asked horrified. She seemed like a nice girl. She deserved better.

"Oh no. Hell, no, girl. I'm dating one of the defensive linemen. Do you know Sam?"

"Same Uley? Of course. He seems cool."

"He is, oh and he told me all about Edward and Jacob. Girl, please tell me you broke your resolution, too."

"No way. I'm keeping it. Wait, what do you mean told you about Jacob and Edward?" I was confused.

"The whole team is talking about their little fight over you. According to Sam, Edward found out Jacob had been hanging around the training center trying to catch you and talk to you. Edward told him back in January to leave you alone, and basically threatened him."

"Yeah, I was there, but that wasn't in January, that was just a couple of weeks ago," I interrupted.

"Oh, no, I heard about that too, but this was way before that. Sam said that time, after Edward found out Jacob was still trying to bother you, he pretty much kicked his ass at practice the next day. Now Edward always goes up there when you're working to make sure Jacob leaves you alone. I'm not sure if that's stalkerish or sweet. All I know is that the boy has it bad for you."

"No way, Edward and I are barely friends," I argued. This was all sort of blowing my mind.

"Bella, don't be so naïve. The whole team has been giving him grief about it."

"I don't know what to say," I admitted.

"You don't need to say anything to me. You need to find that man and confess your undying and love and devotion to him before he slips away. He is a good guy. Any girl would kill to be in your place."

"You don't think he's just like the rest of them? Like Jacob?"

"No way, they are like the sun and the moon. No comparison," Leah said adamantly.

After I left Leah, I wandered aimlessly through the campus trying to make sense of the mess in my head. I remembered Alice's words. Do you feel the ache? I felt it with Edward. I couldn't deny it. He made me laugh. He was smart. He worked hard. He didn't seem privileged or arrogant. He went out of his way for me time and time again. Why couldn't I date him? Because he liked to talk about football? I spent my whole life talking about football. When did that become a bad thing?

That stupid resolution. I thought back to every other New Year's resolution I'd made. I had never lost that five pounds. I still didn't balance my checkbook. I never went to volunteer at the homeless shelter. I was pretty sure I was never going to get over my fear of heights by bungee jumping. New Year's resolutions were meant to be broken.

Besides, Edward was there for me when I needed him. He had protected me from Jacob, and I owed him for that. The least I could do was give him a chance.

I found myself in front of the library. What a coincidence. Edward just happened to mention that he would be studying for Anatomy, and I was hoping he was in his secret studying library corner. I mean I thought I might as well look since I was already there.

I would just stop in and say hi. Maybe see what he was up to. He might need help studying or color coding his notes. If he didn't need help, he could always help me study. Maybe he was hungry and would want dinner. I wasn't hungry, but I wouldn't mind watching him eat. I didn't really care what we did; I just needed to see him. Things between us had changed. I wanted to find out exactly what that meant.

I walked to the place we'd sat last night, and my heart was pounding in my chest. I was scared and excited to see him. As soon as I rounded the corner, my face fell. The table was empty, except for a single piece of paper. I picked it up, and saw that it was one of Edward's anal retentive color coded study guides. I ran my fingers over his handwritten notes on the side of the page. Even his handwriting was beautiful.

Maybe he needed this page of his notes. I wouldn't want him to miss any questions about the Neural Integrative. I looked down at what I was wearing. A Purdue sweatshirt with a hole in it and chucks. Not exactly the best way to make a first post-epiphany impression. I decided to run home to change and then go by Edward's apartment.

I practically jogged back to my apartment and was coming around the corner toward my door when I ran into someone coming around form the other direction. We hit each other hard, and started to fall back. He caught me by the shoulders, and before I could even look up, I knew who it was. I didn't give him a chance to let go. I wrapped my arms around his body and hugged him tightly. He seemed hesitant for a second, but then moved his arms around my back and squeezed. "What's this for?" he breathed into my hair.

"I'm just so happy you're here. Wait, why are you here?" I finally let go and looked up at him.

"I came by to see if you were home yet. I needed to talk to you." While he was talking I reached over and grabbed one of his hands. His eyes grew wide as he looked down at them.

"I was just about to go by your dorm," I smiled up at him.

"Really, why?" He beamed back at me.

"I found one of your study guides. You left it." I held it out to him and his face fell.

"Oh, and I wanted to try something." I moved my hand up to his neck pulling him towards me and tilted my head up towards him.

It took him a second, but as soon as he figured out what I was trying to do, he smiled again. He cupped my face with his hand and started to lean down, but then he froze.

"Wait, what about your resolution? I really like you, but I've got a scholarship to think about and…"

"I'm breaking it," I said impatiently.

"Are you sure, because you seemed pretty adamant about it the other day, and I…"

"Will you please shut up and kiss me!"

"Okay," he whispered and his eyes were full of desire as he finally closed the distance between our lips. That achy feeling Alice kept telling me about started to grow in my stomach again.

It hurt so good.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and supporting me during this difficult time in my life. This is the end of our little story that led to the end of our fic marriage. I will never forget my first fic love….**

**You should read Daisy's story Underexposed, review it, and tell her what a huge mistake she made. I love shabbyapples…. Smooch. Thanks for betaing profmom72. **


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